Every year, alumni return to the home of their education for Homecoming weekend at Eastern.

Different departments hold events to welcome back their alumni.

The department of biological sciences will celebrate with their alumni for the first time this year.

Andrew Methven, chair of the department of biological sciences, said the department is trying to improve contacts with their alumni and build their alumni database.

“I think it’s good to keep alumni interested in the university and show them what’s happened here, you know, on campus, and keep them interested in what’s going on,” said Mary Mattingly, secretary for the department.

The department’s alumni committee had the idea for the alumni breakfast.

Mattingly played a large part in planning for the weekend.

She said the department started planning in May.

The events are planned for Saturday and begin with a continental breakfast in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

Alumni are also invited to attend the parade.

After the parade, tours will be available for alumni to tour the Life Science building.

Methven said some of the alumni have not been on campus since they graduated, so it’s an opportunity for them to see how the department and building have – or have not – changed.

For Homecoming Weekend, Mattingly prepared the alumni list form for recipients to reply to and sent it to all alumni.

He said she also made arrangements for breakfast.

Mattingly said for this, she only needed to find out how many alumni planned to attend.

“The union is really good at pretty much doing everything for you,” she said. “You know, you just tell them you want to have a breakfast and what you want to serve, and they take care of it.”

Mattingly said most of the work came from sending invitations and receiving replies. She said it was important to make sure a good number of alumni were coming.

Methven said the department is expecting about 50 people, which includes alums and their family.

“We’re excited that many people are showing up,” Methven said.

Mattingly said alumni are looking forward to the event as well.

She said the department has received many letters from the alums expressing their excitement about seeing how the department has changed and how some things have stayed the same.

Mattingly said many of the alums are bringing their children.

Methven said he hopes the event becomes annual and over time, grows larger.

Other departments are also inviting their alumni for homecoming events.

The school of business invited alumni to their distinguished alumni dinner held Thursday at the Mattoon Country Club.